Electronically actuated surface projectile game



P 1965 H. M. PRITCHARD 3,208,752

ELECTRONICALLY ACTUA'I'ED SURFACE PROJECTILE GAME Filed Dec. 9, 1965 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIG. I

FIG. 2

INVENTOR.

HAROLD M. PRITCHARD 2Z0 BY ATTORNEYS p 8, 1965 H. M. PRITCHARD 3,208,752

ELECTRONIGALLY ACTUATED SURFACE PROJEG'IILE GAME Filed Dec. 9, 1963 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 i f i 2 1. I I I I l l I 1 l I 1 I I I04 I08 /04, I ll I $l|ll||l|l||l|lllllllllllllallflIolllllllllllllllllllllllllll FIG. 6

INVENTOR. HAROLD M. PRITCHARD BY 7% M ATTORNEYS [In 9 I II Sept. 28, 1965 H. M. PRITCHARD 3,203,752

ELECTRONICALLY ACTUATED SURFACE PROJECTILE GAME Filed Dec. 9, 1963 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 FIG. 8

INVENTOR HAROLD M. PRITCHARD BY 7% M ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,208,752 ELECTRONICALLY A'CTUATED SURFACE PROJECTILE GAME Harold M. Pritchar'd, 2031 US. 31 N., Niles, Mich. Filed Dec. 9, 1963, Ser. No. 329,114 4 Claims. (Cl. 27'3--118) The present invention relates to a game apparatus, and more particularly to an apparatus and court or rink for playing a game with a biased ball and a movable target.

In amusement parks and the like, a number of different kinds of courts or areas are provided for playing and/or practicing games and sports, including driving ranges for golf, miniature golf courses, archery ranges and miniature race tracks. These games or sports as played at the amusement parks while involving some physical exercise, often require pre-acquired skills in order to properly play and to enjoy the game, and they often require substantial practice before satisfactory scores or results can be obtained. Games and sports of this type also require a relatively large area in which to play or practice, and hence in congested areas along highways, around airports and in downtown parks, the expense of maintaining the courses, ranges or tracks for these games and sports is frequently prohibitive unless they are in use most of the time. Further, like many games and sports, the foregoing games often enjoy temporary success or intermittent use and popularity, and hence the game facilities are often idle and unprofitable a large part of the time. It is therefore one of the primary objects of the present invention to provide an apparatus for a game which requires a relatively limited area in which to play and practice and yet which requires some skill and physical exercise.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a game apparatus particularly adapted for amusement parks and the like which requires action on the part of the players and which includes a mechanism for creating and attracting the attention of the players and spectators and for holding their attention and creating a keen interest in the game.

Still another object of the invention is to provide an apparatus for playing a game which can be played by a varying number of players, and which can be enjoyed by the unskilled player as well as the skilled player.

A further object is to provide an apparatus of the aforesaid type having a court or rink which can be effectively and economically utilized to play two separate games of this type simultaneously from opposite ends of the court or rink and without any interference of one game with the other.

Another object is to provide a game apparatus adapted for amusement parks and the like which provides active participation of the players in physical exercise, and which is compact and adapted to being easily moved from one place to another in any amusement establishment and from one amusement park to another in the event the interest or attendance increases or decreases from one park or location to another.

Another object of the invention is to provide an apparatus for playing a game in which the players can acquire or develop a great amount of skill by playing and practicing from time to time and which can be played either indoors or outdoors the year around.

Additional objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description and accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the present game apparatus;

FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary elevational view of the target mechanism of the present game apparatus;

3,208,752 Patented Sept. 28, 1965 See FIGURE 3 is a biased ball used in playing the game on the apparatus shown in the preceding figures;

FIGURE 4 is a top plan view of the target mechanism of the present game apparatus with the housing of the mechanism removed to show the operating mechanism;

FIGURE 5 is a side elevational view of the target mechanism shown in FIGURE 4;

FIGURE 6 is an enlarged fragmentary elevational view of the target and support therefor;

FIGURE 7 is a side elevational view of the target removed fromthe operating support;

FIGURE 8 is a bottom plan view of the target shown in FIGURE 7;

FIGURE 9 is a vertical cross sectional view of the target shown in FIGURES 7 and 8, the section being taken on line 9-9 of FIGURE 8;

FIGURE 10 is an enlarged cross sectional view of a portion of the drive mechanism of the present game apparatus; and

FIGURE 11 is the wiring diagram for the control and motor of the target mechanism.

Referring more specifically to the drawings and to FIGURE 1 in particular, numeral 10 designates generally the present game having a dual court 12 consisting of playing sections 14 and 16 dividing the court into two generally triangularly shaped sections separated by line or divider 18 extending diagonally across the court. Mounted on opposite ends are identical target mechanisms 20 and 22 for court sections 14 and 16, respec tively. The exact size and shape of the court sections are not critical and in many installations, only one of the sections may be used. When only one section is used, the single court is preferably rectangular in shape, substantially longer than wide, with the target mechanism located at one end of the court. A double court, such as that shown in FIGURE 1, may be eighty feet long and twenty feet wide with the lines 24 and 26 on which the players stand being four feet long. The single courts are eighty feet long and fifteen feet wide with the target mechanism extending substantially the full width of the single court.

The court is preferably covered by a soft durable material, such as a rubber mat or other suitable artificial green material resembling a lawn. A channel or gutter may be provided along the two longitudinal sides of the court for receiving the biased ball in the event it is rolled inaccurately during a play. The base of the court may be either of concrete, wood or metal frame construction mounted solidly on firm supports, either on the ground or on a foundation or other rigid base structure.

The target mechanism is supported on the court by its two ends 30 and 3-2, and consists of a housing 34 extending substantially the full width of the court or court section and encloses an operating mechanism 36 for movable target 40. In the embodiment of the invention shown in FIGURES 4 and 5, the operating mechanism for moving target 40 consists of a chain 42 trained on sprockets 44, 46, 48 and 50 along one side of the mechanism and sprockets 52, 54 and 56 along the other side of the mechanism, the sprockets being supported by a frame 57 consisting of longitudinal members 58 and 60 and cross members 62, 64, 66, 68, and 72 to which the axle 74 of each sprocket is attached by fixture 76, the fixture being rigidly secured to the cross members by welding, bolting or other suitable securing means. The axle 74 is rotatably supported in bearings 77 and 78, which in turn are supported by sleeve 79 of fixture 76, the shaft being supported in the sleeve by a plurality of nuts on the upper end thereof. A chain idler .80 is mounted on frame member 58 and consists of an arm 82 supporting a sprocket or roller 84 and being (2 urged into engagement with the chain by a spring 06 reacting between cross member 68 and arm 82 to apply the desired tension on the chain.

The chain is driven by a motor 90 mounted on frame member 58 and connected to sprocket 54 and is adapted to operate intermittently to move target 40 from one position to another along one end of the court, the motor being actuated and controlled by a circuit mounted in a control panel 92 and consisting of the elements illustrated in FIGURE 11. The movable light reel 94 is preferably included in the target mechanism and is mounted for notation on a shaft 96 and bracket 98 attached to cross member 66. The light reel is driven by a chain from sprocket 46 and is adapted to direct a beam of light from lens 99 onto target 40 as the target is moved from one position to another in the target mechanism.

The target 40 is supported on chain 42 by a fixture 102 consisting of three brackets .104, 106 and 108 attached at their upper ends to chain 42 and at their lower ends to a plate H0. The target consists of a hollow shaft 112 rigidly connected at its upper end to plate 110 and supporting at its lower end four individually mounted switches 11 4, .116, 1 18 and 120. Each of the switches consists of contacts 122 and 124 separated by insulating member 126 on supporting means .128, the supporting means being secured to the lower end of shaft 112 by rivets i130 and 1312 extending through the supporting member into the shaft. In the construction shown, the two contacts remain separated until they are physically pushed together by operating lever 134 which extends at an angle laterally along the external side of the contacts and which is connected to and supported by support member 128.- The contacts 122 and 124 are connected to the control circuit by leads 136 and 138, respectively, which extend into the hollow shaft M2 and upwardly therethrough to a point adjacent fixture 102 where they pass outwardly through hole 140 and are suspended beneath chain 42 by a bracket 142 on shaft 1112.

The four switches are surrounded by a cylindrical housing 150 and a shield 152, the housing being supported on shaft 111:2 by a collar 154 secured to the external surface of the shaft, and by a spring 156 reacting against the upper end 158 of housing 150 and an abutment 159 forming the end of a cup-shaped member 160 enclosing a portion of the spring. The housing 150 is mounted in such amanner that it can pivot on collar l'5'4'in all directions for the purpose more fully described hereinafter. An annular bumper member 162 is mounted on the lower end of housing 150 and secured thereto by four screws 164, 166, 168 and 170 extending through the bumper and through holes in the lower end of housing 150, which are held firmly in place by nuts 172, 17-4, 176 and 178, respectively. The ends of the four screws project inwardly through housing 150 and are adapted to contact switch actuating member 134 which is insulated from the screws by a shield 180. It is thus seen that as the lower end of housing 150 is moved in any lateral direction, one or two of the screws will contact switch actuating member 134 and thereby close the respective switch.

The target is moved from one position to another in the target mechanism by the motor controlled by the circuit shOWn in FIGURE 11, consisting of a relay 190 with switches 192 and 194 therein operated by coil 196. The electric current for operating the motor and the control circuit is supplied by leads 198 and 200, and the speed of the motor in moving the target from one position to another is controlled by potentiometer 202. The relay is operate-d by a secondary circuit provided by transformer 204 through leads 206 and 208, which extend to the four switches in target 40. When any one of the switches in target 40 is closed, the secondary circuit operates the relay 190 to close switches 192 and 194, thereby connecting line 198 to the motor through potentiometer 202. On being energized, the motor rotates sprocket 54 to move the chain around the various sprockets, moving the target from one position to an other beneath frame 57. A suitable timing means housed in control panel box 92 is employed to determine the distance the target moves each time the switches in the target are closed.

The present game apparatus is used in conjunction with a biased ball 220, such as that used in the Australian game known as bonds, the object of the game being to place the biased ball as close as possible to the target without actually coming in contact therewith. However, if the ball does contact the target, one of the four switches, 1'14, 1&6, lilS or 120, will be closed, thus energizing the circuit shown in FIGURE 11 to operate motor 90, and thereby move the target to another position remote from the ball contacting the target. In playing the game, the player placing a ball closest to the target without coming in contact with it wins a point in the game. A number of players may participate in the game, and the ball is rolled a preselected number of times by each player, and the total score is determined by which one of the players places the ball closest to the target the greatest number of times.

While only one embodiment of the present invention has been described in detail herein, various changes and modifications may be made to satisfy requirements and to vary the nature of the game.

I claim:

1. A game apparatus, comprising a court of elongated rectangular shape, an elongated target mechanism at each end of said court extending along each end from corresponding opposite corners of the court, a biased ball, said target mechanism including a horizontally positioned frame spaced upwardly from the court, a plurality of sprockets arranged in a zig-zag relation along said frame from one end to the other, a chain around said sprockets forming a tract-like path, a motor for intermittently driving said chain, a target for said ball connected to said chain and extending downwardly therefrom to a point in the proximity of but above the surface of said court, said target having a vertically positioned tubular shaft connected to said chain, a cylindrical shell pivotally mounted at its upper end on said shaft, four spaced electrical switches mounted on the lower end of said shaft within said shell, stems mounted on said shell and projecting inwardly for operating said switches when said shell is moved relative to said shaft, resilient means for normally holding said switches in open position, resilient means for holding said shell concentric with said shaft, and a circuit for said motor controlled by said switches for intermittently operating said motor to move said target from one place to another on said track-like path.

2. A game apparatus, comprising a court, a target mechanism at one end of said court, a biased ball, said target mechanism including a horizontally positioned frame spaced upwardly from the court, a plurality of sprockets arranged along said frame from one end to the other, a chain around said sprockets forming a track-like path, a motor for intermittently driving said chain, a target for said ball connected to said chain and extending downwardly therefrom to a point in the proximity of but above the surface of said court, said target having a vertically positioned tubular shaft connected to said chain, a cylindrical shell pivotally mounted at its upper end on said shaft, a plurality of spaced electrical switches mounted on the lower end of said shaft within said shell, stems mounted on said shell and projecting inwardly for operating said switches when said shell is moved relative to said shaft, resilient means for normally holding said switches in open position, resilient means for holding said shell concentric with said shaft, and a circuit for said motor controlled by said switches for intermittently 3 operating said motor to move said target from one place to another on said track-like path.

3. A game apparatus, comprising a court of elongated rectangular shape, an elongated target mechanism at each end of said court extending along each end from corresponding opposite corners of the court, a ball, said target mechanism for said ball including a horizontally positioned frame spaced upwardly from the court, a track-like path, a carriage means on said track-like path, a motor for driving said carriage means, a target for said ball connected to said carriage means and extending downwardly therefrom to a point in the proximity of but above the surface of said court, said target having a vertically positioned shaft connected to said carriage means, a cylindrical shell pivotally mounted at its upper end on said shaft, spaced electrical switches mounted in said shell, a means for operating said switches when said shell is moved relative to said shaft, resilient means for normally holding said switches in open position, resilient means for holding said shell concentric with said shaft, and a circuit for said motor controlled by said switches for intermittently operating said motor to move said target from one place to another on said track-like path.

4. A game apparatus, comprising a court of elongated rectangular shape, an elongated target mechanism at each end of said court extending along each end from corresponding opposite corners of the court, a biased ball,

said target mechanism for said ball including a horizontally positioned frame spaced upwardly from the court, a track-like path, a carriage means on said tracklike path, a motor for driving said carriage means, a target for said ball connected to said carriage means and extending downwardly therefrom to a point in the proximity of but above the surface of said court, switch means operated when said ball strikes said target, and a circuit for said motor controlled by said switch means for intermittently operating said motor to move said target from one place to another on said track-like path.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,288,695 12/18 Schuyler 273-118 1,574,572 2/26 Grove 273-118 2,163,122 6/39 Hooker 273-118 2,524,546 10/50 Sinclaire 273-118 2,678,215 5/54 Peterson et al. 273-127 X 2,794,640 6/57 Rutherford 273-127 2,962,287 11/60 Canivet 273-119 3,059,931 10/62 Garcia 237-127 3,110,498 11/63 Sheldon 273-127 3,128,096 4/64 Hammond et a1. 273-1052 X RICHARD C. PINKHAM, Primary Examiner. 

4. A GAME APPARATUS, COMPRISING A COURT OF ELONGATED RECTANGULAR SHAPE, AN ELONGATED TARGET MECHANISM AT EACH END OF SAID COURT EXTENDING ALONG EACH END FROM CORRESPONDING OPPOSITE CORNERS OF THE COURT, A BIASED BALL, SAID TARGET MECHANISM FOR SAID BALL INCLUDING A HORIZONTALLY POSITIONED FRAME SPACED UPWARDLY FROM THE COURT, A TRACK-LIKE PATH, A CARRIAGE MEANS ON SAID TRACK-LIKE PATH, A MOTOR FOR DRIVING SAID CARRIAGE MEANS, A TARGET FOR SAID BALL CONNECTED TO SAID CARRIAGE MEANS AND EXTENDING DOWNWARDLY THEREFROM TO A POINT IN THE PROXIMITY OF BUT ABOVE THE SURFACE OF SAID COURT, SWITCH MEANS OPERATED WHEN SAID BALL STRIKES SAID TARGET, AND A CIRCUIT FOR SAID MOTOR CONTROLLED BY SAID SWITCH MEANS FOR INTERMITTENTLY OPERATING SAID MOTOR TO MOVE SAID TARGET FORM ONE PLACE TO ANOTHER ON SAID TRACK-LIKE PATH. 